- a) Income received either in the form of a one-time only payment that does not continue on a regular basis or in the form of a retroactive payment for income that continues on a regular basis is considered non-recurring lump-sum income (a lump-sum payment). Examples of non-recurring lump-sum income are retroactive social security payments, retroactive unemployment insurance benefits, personal injury settlements, workers compensation injury settlements, lottery winnings, inheritances and insurance settlements.
b) Any portion of the lump-sum payment used to pay for expenses incurred as a result of the lump-sum payment shall be exempt from consideration as non-recurring lump-sum income as follows:
1) Personal Injury Settlement – That portion of a personal injury payment is exempt that is used to pay for:
- A) necessary costs of litigation or settlement, including attorney's fees;
- B) the Department's charge (see 89 Ill. Adm. Code 102.260);
- C) medical costs resulting from the injury and paid by the client;
- D) expenses to repair or replace personal property which was damaged as a result of the injury.
2) Workers' Compensation Payment – That portion of a Workers' Compensation payment is exempt that is used to pay for:
- A) necessary costs of litigation or settlement, including attorney's fees;
- B) medical costs resulting from the injury and paid by the client.
3) Insurance Payments
A) Insurance Payments – That portion of an insurance payment received due to loss is exempt when used to:
- i) Repair or replace a lost or damaged resource, including, but not limited to, repair or replacement of home, furniture, or clothing lost or damaged in a fire or flood and repair or replacement of a car as a result of an accident or fire;
- ii) Pay the funeral, burial or medical expenses of an insured when the client is the beneficiary of the insured's life insurance policy.
- B) Any insurance proceeds not spent or contracted to be spent as specified in subsection (b)(3)(A) within 60 days after receipt shall be budgeted (see Section 112.105(a) as non-recurring lump-sum income. A payment receipt shall be required as verification of any insurance-related expenses claimed as exempt under subsection (b)(3)(A).
- c) Lump-sum payments are considered nonexempt unearned income for the month of receipt. Any amount remaining is not considered for the following month.
(Source: Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 4441, effective January 29, 2014)